Alejandro Piñeiro Bello

Viaje en Espiral

Past
Jun 2 – Jun 24, 2023
Seoul

Exhibition Details:

Alejandro Piñeiro Bello
Viaje en Espiral
Jun 2 – 24, 2023

Gallery:

267 Itaewon-ro
Yongsan-gu
Seoul

Press:

Press Release (EN)
Press Release (KR)

Connect:

(opens in a new window) @alejandropineirobello
(opens in a new window) @pacegallery

Above: Installation view, Alejandro Piñeiro Bello: Viaje en Espiral, Jun 2 – 24, Pace Gallery, Seoul © Alejandro Piñeiro Bello

Pace is pleased to present a solo exhibition of work by Alejandro Piñeiro Bello at its arts complex in Seoul.

On view from June 2 to 24, the presentation, titled Viaje en Espiral (Spiral Journey), will bring together new and recent paintings and works on paper by the Cuban artist. This exhibition, which marks the artist’s first solo show in Korea, will focus on his investigations of Caribbean culture and history.

In his painting practice, Piñeiro Bello often examines the sociocultural dimensions of the Caribbean and its diaspora. Using traditional materials such as oil on raw linen or burlap, he creates striking layers of color in his paintings, evoking the natural landscapes and folkloric traditions of the Caribbean. His abstract and semi-abstract compositions take on otherworldly, fantastical qualities, revealing unexplored places in the artist’s own subconscious.

Included in Piñeiro Bello’s upcoming exhibition at Pace in Seoul are his paintings El Tropico Salta Y Su Chorro Invade Mi Cabeza (2023) and Murieron En La Orilla De La Playa (2023), which embody the lushness and vibrancy of the Caribbean. In these works, explosions of color, light, and baroque forms reflect the artist's deep interest in the beauty and chaos of the natural world. Among the other works in the presentation is El Desconocido Son Del Areito Desapareciendo Para Toda La Eternidad (2023), a composition that captures the essence of the lost dance and music of the Ciboney people. With this painting, Piñeiro Bello celebrates the legacy of indigenous culture in the Caribbean.

The artist’s use of fragmented forms, strong strokes, and intense color has been influenced by the work of artists Wifredo Lam, Víctor Manuel García Valdés, Mariano Rodríguez, Pablo Picasso, and Hokusai. He also draws inspiration from the writings of various poets and philosophers—such as José Lezama Lima, José Martí, and Virgilio Piñera—from Cuba. Piñeiro Bello considers his artworks as journeys through time. The title of his forthcoming solo show in Seoul—Viaje en Espiral (Spiral Journey)—is inspired by personal and collective memories related to life and death, love, parenting, origin, and identity that are expressed in the artworks on view.

Following his presentation with Pace in Seoul, Piñeiro Bello will open a solo exhibition at the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale in Florida on July 30. This upcoming show is part of Future Past Perfect, a series of solo exhibitions by various artists, each presented in their own gallery space in the museum.

Featured Works

Las Blancas Dentaduras Perforando La Noche by Alejandro Piñeiro Bello — Alejandro Piñeiro Bello, *Las Blancas Dentaduras Perforando La Noche*, 2023, oil on linen, 142.5 cm × 188 cm × 3 cm (56-1/8" × 74" × 1-3/16")

Camina Bajo Los Naranjos by Alejandro Piñeiro Bello — Alejandro Piñeiro Bello, *Camina Bajo Los Naranjos*, 2023, oil on linen, 46" × 36" (116.8 cm × 91.4 cm)

El Tropico Salta Y Su Chorro Invade Mi Cabeza by Alejandro Piñeiro Bello — Alejandro Piñeiro Bello, *El Tropico Salta Y Su Chorro Invade Mi Cabeza*, 2023, oil on linen, 183.5 cm × 122.5 cm × 3 cm (72-1/4" × 48-1/4" × 1-3/16")

Del Vuelta Al Mare by Alejandro Piñeiro Bello — Alejandro Piñeiro Bello, *Del Vuelta Al Mare*, 2020, watercolor on Arches paper, 57.2 cm × 81.3 cm (22-1/2" × 32"), image 72.5 cm × 96 cm × 4.1 cm (28-9/16" × 37-13/16" × 1-5/8"), framed

Installation Views

About the Artist

Alejandro Piñeiro Bello (b. 1990, Havana, Cuba) paints the sociocultural mystic splendor of the Caribbean’s culture with a focus on the Caribbean diaspora, Cuba, and the surrounding island nations’ identities, and histories. Using traditional materials, such as oil on raw linen or burlap, he establishes a strong palette that becomes essential in his works—striking color accents bathe between the layers in each painting, making certain areas brighten against a backdrop of deep beige. The images form endless landscapes and folkloric gestures. Physical forms and ideals appear on a timeless plane drawn from the artist’s memories and dreams. Piñeiro Bello participated in major public projects during the Havana Biennials in 2012, 2015, and 2019. His works have also been shown in exhibitions presented by KDR305 in Miami; Pace Gallery in Palm Beach; and the National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana. The artist lives and works in Havana and Miami.